Author name: Alyson

When I was a sophomore in college there was a young man I ran into nearly every day. I would see him in the lobby of my dorm getting a smoothie. I would bump into him at the cafeteria. We would inexplicably cross paths and the more I saw him the more I saw him […]

Advent, my favorite time of year. I always get the tingles when the choir sings that first stanza from “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus” Born to set Thy people free! I cry essentially non-stop from Thanksgiving onward. But this year’s tears feel different, they’re disappointed tears, dark and desperate. We are surrounded: racial divides, war,

Lets play a game. Its called ‘How did you wake up this morning?’ It’s super fun. I’ll go first. I woke up this morning to the adorable pitter-patter of tiny feet coming into my room at 6am with the proud announcement, “I go potty mama!” My eyes flew open to see my grinning two year

This week we went on vacation. Anyone who has young children can tell you that vacation with kids is not really a vacation at all- it’s just doing the same things you do at home but with less of the accoutrements that make life easier. The only tradeoff is that you are hopefully closer to

I’m writing this letter to you and not the girls because they’re too young to feel the tides shifting.  I feel the shift within me as the grip of social media gets stronger and I’m more exposed to how Mother’s Day Should Be Done.  I feel the shift within you, right now at almost 7

I have intentionally not blogged during my pregnancy. This is because my predominant pregnancy symptom is rage, every pregnancy, every time. I once took a (positive) pregnancy test because Drew noticed the knife I was dicing vegetables with inch closer and closer to him as I gesticulated about something I found irritating. It was with

15 years ago today was the day the last cancer cell was sliced from my body. On every February 2nd I go to the beach to celebrate this milestone.  Even the February 2nd of 2010 when my beautiful (and ahead of schedule) Claire was born 48 hours later.  My immense form waddled down to the

When I was 9 years old I broke a glass thermometer.  My then 15-year old sister and I were home alone and neither of us knew that mercury was toxic.  So when the thermometer broke, the little grey ball gushed out of the water and went rolling across the linoleum floor.  It looked like the

Yesterday, Ann Voskamp wrote an excellent blog post about the dangers of comparison.  I had so many friends link it on their Facebook page that I couldn’t help but read it.  I’d link it here for you too, except I don’t know how.  My little secret is that I’m not a real blogger.  I blog

I sat in church yesterday morning, my body in the pew but my thoughts with you. Dan spoke on the omnipotence of God: God’s unlimited, eternal power. God cannot be thwarted.  God is supreme. I thought of you on a hospital gurney, sick with detox, tossing and turning under florescent lights. I searched for the